The Right Dose of Exercise for a Longer Life

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In the broader of the two studies, researchers with the National Cancer Institute, Harvard University and other institutions gathered and pooled data about people’s exercise habits from six large, ongoing health surveys, winding up with information about more than 661,000 adults, most of them middle-aged.

Using this data, the researchers stratified the adults by their weekly exercise time, from those who did not exercise at all to those who worked out for 10 times the current recommendations or more (meaning that they exercised moderately for 25 hours per week or more).

Then they compared 14 years’ worth of death records for the group.

They found that, unsurprisingly, the people who did not exercise at all were at the highest risk of early death.

But those who exercised a little, not meeting the recommendations but doing something, lowered their risk of premature death by 20 percent.

Those who met the guidelines precisely, completing 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, enjoyed greater longevity benefits and 31 percent less risk of dying during the 14-year period compared with those who never exercised.

The sweet spot for exercise benefits, however, came among those who tripled the recommended level of exercise, working out moderately, mostly by walking, for 450 minutes per week, or a little more than an hour per day. Those people were 39 percent less likely to die prematurely than people who never exercised.

At that point, the benefits plateaued, the researchers found, but they never significantly declined. Those few individuals engaging in 10 times or more the recommended exercise dose gained about the same reduction in mortality risk as people who simply met the guidelines. They did not gain significantly more health bang for all of those additional hours spent sweating. But they also did not increase their risk of dying young.

In the broader of the two studies, researchers with the National Cancer Institute, Harvard University and other institutions gathered and pooled data about people’s exercise habits from six large, ongoing health surveys, winding up with information about more than 661,000 adults, most of them middle-aged.

Using this data, the researchers stratified the adults by their weekly exercise time, from those who did not exercise at all to those who worked out for 10 times the current recommendations or more (meaning that they exercised moderately for 25 hours per week or more).

Then they compared 14 years’ worth of death records for the group.

They found that, unsurprisingly, the people who did not exercise at all were at the highest risk of early death.

But those who exercised a little, not meeting the recommendations but doing something, lowered their risk of premature death by 20 percent.

Those who met the guidelines precisely, completing 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, enjoyed greater longevity benefits and 31 percent less risk of dying during the 14-year period compared with those who never exercised.

The sweet spot for exercise benefits, however, came among those who tripled the recommended level of exercise, working out moderately, mostly by walking, for 450 minutes per week, or a little more than an hour per day. Those people were 39 percent less likely to die prematurely than people who never exercised.

At that point, the benefits plateaued, the researchers found, but they never significantly declined. Those few individuals engaging in 10 times or more the recommended exercise dose gained about the same reduction in mortality risk as people who simply met the guidelines. They did not gain significantly more health bang for all of those additional hours spent sweating. But they also did not increase their risk of dying young.

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What they fail to cover is the need for good nutrition. Without the right food exercise will just tear your body up.

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No question nutrition is important. Exercise and nutrition certainly should increase the life span ... and even if it doesn't the person probably would be healthjy longer and not become ill as soon as if they do not have good nutrition or exercise.

Good and bad nutrition has been shown to be related to education and income.

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What they fail to cover is the need for good nutrition. Without the right food exercise will just tear your body up.

Click to expand...

I married my 2nd wife after I lost my first wife to Kidney Cancer after 30 years of marriage... I was a strict Carnivore!... My 2nd wife and I have been married over 10 years and she and I are Vegetarian... btw Not Vegan!... I agree both are essential for longevity and a healthy mind helps too!... Brother Glen

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I went vegetarian for a year a few decades ago in order to attempt to reduce my high cholesterol levels.
It only dropped 2% after a year so I eventually began to take meds for it, reducing it greatly.

My only grip with being vegetarian is that there is nothing good to put barbeque sauce on.

Over-exercise is almost as dangerous as lack of exercise. Long distance runners, particularly competitive marathoners damage their hearts. ...but that's not MY problem!

As a competitive reader I've had to deliberately schedule my exercise time into my week, I'd much rather read than exercise. My purchase of an ipad helped a lot. Now I can read a bit during exercise as well as listen to Audible books.

May I say that my sure fire method to have the best life possible as far as health and well being and longivity are as follows........first of all you can eat anything....[i dont want people thinking silly things like poison or go overboard by eating 20 pounds of choclate]...read1Timothy41=8.....for every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if......it be recieved with thanksgiving..it then becomes sanctified..by the word of God and prayer......so meat eater or whatever its ok to eat it....its doctrines of devils to believe in being a vegetarian....long life to me is found in Proverbs4;20---23.......GOD NEVER PROMISED MAN 70 YEARS LIFE......NO NEVER......Yes in Psalm90;8---11....it talks of threescore..and ten....and even fourscore.......but this is for those that were under Gods wrath.. and we need two or three witnesses ...this only place 70 years is mentioned..its for non believers...what of believers?...Psalm90;.it speaks about backslidden Israel not doing Gods will ...But read Psalm91 to those that are right with God...it ends up with a promise of long life.....Proverbs3;1-2 again promises long life to those who are obedient to Gods word......in John10;10 Jesus said he comes that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly......note might..not definately would.....and Abundant in grek means superior in quality and quantity......might have it..might not...obedience is what will decide it.....do you really believe every creature is good and nothing to be refused if it be recieved with thanksgiving..as 1Timothy4;3-4 states......yes I know many christians have died before their time..there are reasons..for instance early deat and sickness can come for taking communion in wrong way..see 1Corinthians11;30.....many ...in fact there are 7 ways christians can let sickness come into their life....revealed in scripture..this is one such case...can you imagine a medical man examining someone who died and said he died for eating the lords supper in an unworth manner...yet Gods word says this can happen to many..not a few......Gods word...obey what Our Lord Jesus said to do..you will outlive other christians who dont....Gods promises are all yes an amen by us..2Corinthians1;20....sin will bring sickness[another reason christians get sick is dabbling in devils territorry[sin]....Jesus told a man to go and sin no more lest a worst thing come upon him...JOHN5;14...SIN HAS DIFFERENT MEANINGS IN BIBLE.....here it means sin as way of life...not just one sin..but habitual lifestyle sins.....well trust we can speak again and please ask any questions.....thanks for eading this...in Jesus Christ our Lords name...from Reg W.